The thing I loved about deluxe figures when I was a kid was that the collectors wanted the basic carded Boba Fett. He was hard to find. Deluxe Boba Fett was everywhere. So I got my Bob Fett. These modern delux figures are a bummer. I remember seeing a lot of cardboard playsets. I feel like them adding some elements of cardboard "set pieces" to deluxe figures today would keep cost down but add some play value. Heck, give some papercraft like toys, make it both action figures and a creative project in one.
Hey, Scott. Thank you for continuing to make these videos - I’m so glad you got your channel back. This may be niche, but you e spoken about modifying existing molds before. How is that done? What is the comparable cost compared to making a new mold? Are there any limitations?
I know for Transformers, at least pretty sure the case is, size/price class is measured by mass of toy + mass of accessories + engineering complexity of transformation + deco.
In the past, some figures offset the price of other. For example, in GI Joe, Snake Eyes had no deco. And this offset figures that had more deco. Why don't they do that anymore?
Hi Scott. I heard about computer printing for deco, specifically with facial features. Do you see this as eventually replacing individual deco hits by employees? Thank you for this video and please keep them coming!
That helmet off Boba Fett doesn't have as much deco because it's a cleaned up and repainted suit from the TV show. It's not missing any deco at all. The scratches all over the old school suit still has all the scratches thus the extra paint. Also, paint deco is not always charged per brush stroke. It depends on what is being produced and the individual people at the factory. Some factories will provide extra paint for free or even a flat rate depending on what you're having them make or how much they like you and/or your line (i.e. politics). Your best friend, Bobby Vala, recently did his own paint deco video and he brought up this bit of info. I can't remember if it was on his last video on his Valaverse channel or if it was in the latest (or one of the latest) Toy Attics videos. He's in a lot of TA's vids given he is the Action Force photographer (I think). If it was a TA vid it might have been the one on the return of o-ring and/or 3.75" scale figs.
Yeah it’s business politics- paint hits count in the amount of human interferences that go into production. Manual labor costs. That’s part of the politics in pricing.
I love your insight on the business aspect. So I have a question because I noticed you keep saying the toy companies are pocketing your money. Can you explain businesswise how for instance hasbro can sell a figure to target making sure they make all of their money to wear target sells the same item for $25. Now when that item does not sell and goes on clearance sometimes as low as 70% off. Still able to make some of their money back I would assume, maybe not their total margin but something because they will turn around and sell the non-sellable items to places like Ollies where they are able to still make profit by selling that $25 action figure for $10. Mind you the same exact figure is being sold at Hasbro websitefor $25 cutting out extra shipping to big box retailers and increasing their margins by not having to sell it for wholesale to big box retailers. Could you explain or make a video on what the margins could be and where the money goes like IP, shipping, cost of material, overhead at company office ect?
I used to really love deluxe figs cuz you typically got a unique figure included with whatever was packed in with them, i.e. the POTF2, POTJ, etc.
The thing I loved about deluxe figures when I was a kid was that the collectors wanted the basic carded Boba Fett. He was hard to find. Deluxe Boba Fett was everywhere. So I got my Bob Fett. These modern delux figures are a bummer. I remember seeing a lot of cardboard playsets. I feel like them adding some elements of cardboard "set pieces" to deluxe figures today would keep cost down but add some play value. Heck, give some papercraft like toys, make it both action figures and a creative project in one.
Hey, Scott. Thank you for continuing to make these videos - I’m so glad you got your channel back. This may be niche, but you e spoken about modifying existing molds before. How is that done? What is the comparable cost compared to making a new mold? Are there any limitations?
I know for Transformers, at least pretty sure the case is, size/price class is measured by mass of toy + mass of accessories + engineering complexity of transformation + deco.
In the past, some figures offset the price of other. For example, in GI Joe, Snake Eyes had no deco. And this offset figures that had more deco. Why don't they do that anymore?
Bc they can give 0 deco and people still buy it
Isn’t Epic series 4” scale?
Awesome!
Hi Scott. I heard about computer printing for deco, specifically with facial features. Do you see this as eventually replacing individual deco hits by employees? Thank you for this video and please keep them coming!
That helmet off Boba Fett doesn't have as much deco because it's a cleaned up and repainted suit from the TV show. It's not missing any deco at all. The scratches all over the old school suit still has all the scratches thus the extra paint.
Also, paint deco is not always charged per brush stroke. It depends on what is being produced and the individual people at the factory. Some factories will provide extra paint for free or even a flat rate depending on what you're having them make or how much they like you and/or your line (i.e. politics). Your best friend, Bobby Vala, recently did his own paint deco video and he brought up this bit of info. I can't remember if it was on his last video on his Valaverse channel or if it was in the latest (or one of the latest) Toy Attics videos. He's in a lot of TA's vids given he is the Action Force photographer (I think). If it was a TA vid it might have been the one on the return of o-ring and/or 3.75" scale figs.
Yeah it’s business politics- paint hits count in the amount of human interferences that go into production. Manual labor costs. That’s part of the politics in pricing.
I love your insight on the business aspect. So I have a question because I noticed you keep saying the toy companies are pocketing your money. Can you explain businesswise how for instance hasbro can sell a figure to target making sure they make all of their money to wear target sells the same item for $25. Now when that item does not sell and goes on clearance sometimes as low as 70% off. Still able to make some of their money back I would assume, maybe not their total margin but something because they will turn around and sell the non-sellable items to places like Ollies where they are able to still make profit by selling that $25 action figure for $10. Mind you the same exact figure is being sold at Hasbro websitefor $25 cutting out extra shipping to big box retailers and increasing their margins by not having to sell it for wholesale to big box retailers. Could you explain or make a video on what the margins could be and where the money goes like IP, shipping, cost of material, overhead at company office ect?
Deco or not I will never buy a deluxe figure.